Electrical combination key lock

ABSTRACT

An electrical combination key lock in which a card is provided with a plurality of electrical contacts to serve as a key when inserted into an electric contact slot with the electric contacts in the card completing correct circuits if correctly mated to the lock to operate the motor vehicle and electrically connected to a warning system if improperly mated to the lock. The card is provided with a plurality of balls which engage contacts on opposite sides of the lock with the combination being established by the use of varying numbers of balls and for various interconnections of the balls.

KR Braflhbsbi) a ,t- Umted Statt y i 1111 3,846,64 2, D Mlhlhauser XvNov. 5, 1974 ELECTRICAL COMBINATION KEY LOCK Primary Examiner-L. T.l-lix [76] Inventor gg z g gkr g gfi g g BOX Attorney, Agent, orFirm-Blair & Brown Q [22] Filed: NOV. 16, 1972 57 ABSTRACT t PP 307,243An electrical combination key lock in which a card is provided with aplurality of electrical contacts to serve [52] US Cl 307/10 AT 317/134340/164 A as a key when inserted into an electric contact slot 511 lntclfn fjjfffjj ..B60r 25/04 with the electric in the card completing [58]new of Search 180/114. 317/134. 70/278. rect circuits if correctly matedto the lock to operate 340/1 164 R 3031/10 A the motor vehicle andelectrically connected to a warning system if improperly mated to thelock. The

- d is rovided with a luralit of balls which engage [56] ReferencesCited car p p y contacts on opposite sldes of the lock w1th the comb1-UNITED STATES PATENTS nation being established by the use of varyingnumbers 3,450,953 6/1969 Gardner...' 317/134 f b ll d f variousinterconnections of the balls 3,634,880 1/1972 Hawkins.. 180/114 r3,644,745 2/1972 Bell 180/114 1 Claim, 5 Drawing FlguleS 42 CONTACTSPATENTEIJNHV 5 mm SHEET 10F 2 ATMPEE 42 CoNTAc-rs ELECTRICAL COMBINATIONKEY LOCK BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION FIELD OF THE INVENTION The presentinvention relates to a card combination key lock system for motorvehicles.

- SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A card formed of insulating material providedwith a plurality of ball contact members which extend out each face ofthe card for electrical contact with the electrical contacts of a lock.The electrical contacts of the lock are connected in such a manner andrelated to the contact of the card that when proper mating of the cardwith lock occurs the motor vehicle is permitted to operate, but whenimproper mating of a card and lock occurs a warning signal is sounded.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a lock system actuatedby a contact carrying card such as to give a warning signalwhen thewrong card is inserted into the lock.

Other objects and advantages will become apparent in the followingspecification when considered in the light of the attached drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a semi-diagrammatic view ofthe invention illustrating the circuitry in which it operates;

FIG. 2 is an exploded sectional view, taken along the line 2-2 of FIG.I, looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 3 is a horizontal sectional view, taken on the line 3-3 of FIG. 2,looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 2 with the card in the lock; and

FIG. 5 is a vastly enlarged fragmentary sectional view, taken on theline 5-5 of FIG. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now to the drawings indetail wherein like reference characters indicate like parts throughoutthe several figures, the reference numeral indicates generally acombination card key and lock system constructed in accordance with theinvention.

The system 10 includes a lock 11 formed of insulating material andhaving a generally rectangular shape. The lock 11 has a flange 12 formedon one end thereof for securing the lock II to a steering column 13 of amotor vehicle.

A relatively thin generally rectangular pocket 14 opens into the lock IIand extends nearly all the way therethrough. A plurality of contactbuttons 15 embedded in the insulating material forming the lock 11 sothat their inner ends coincide with the surface of the pocket 14. Theplugs 15 are provided with insulators 16 on their outer face andelectric circuit wires 17 extend therefrom in a manner to be described.

A combination key card 18 is formed of plastic or any non-conductingmaterial and has a plurality of conducting or non-conducting balls 19secured between the opposite sides of the card 18 in such a manner as tocooperate with the plugs 15 on opposite sides of the pocket 14 tocomplete a circuit there-between.

For convenience of description the contact balls 19 are lettered A, B,C, D, E and F and similarly the contact plugs 15 in the lock 11 arelettered A, B, C, D, E and F both in FIG. 1. The card 18 may have anyoneof the balls 19 either omitted or formed of nonconducting material so asnot to complete a circuit between adjacent plugs 15 with the card 18inserted into the lock 11.

The wires 17 may interconnect any of the plugs 15 lettered A, B, C, D, Eand F to provide the desired circuit. In the lock 11 as illustrated inFIG. I the contacts A and D, contacts C and F and contacts F and E onthe upper side of the lock are interconnected and the contacts B and C,A and D and D and F are interconnected on the lower side of the lock. Toestablish the desired circuits the balls B, C, and E in the card 18 areformed of conducting material while the balls A, D, and F are formed ofnon-conducting materials or omitted. Inclusion of conducting balls A, D,and F will cause the alarm to be sounded even if balls B, C, and E areproperly included.

A wire 21 connects the contact B on the upper side of the lock 11 to theplus side of a battery 22. A wire 23 connects the plus side of thebattery 22 to the contact D on the upper side of the lock 11. A wire 24connects the contact D on the lower side of the lock 11 to a relay 25.The relay 25 actuates a switch 26 and a switch 27 for reasons to beassigned. A wire 28 extends from the relay 25 to the negative side ofthe battery 22. A wire 29 extends from the contact E on the lower sideof the lock 11 to a hand control switch 30. A wire 33 connects theswitch 30 to the switch 27 connected by a wire 34 to the load 35. A wire36 extends from the load 35 to the negative side of the battery 22through the wire 28.

A wire 38 extends from the positive side of the battery 22 to a horn 39which is connected on its opposite side by a wire 40 to the switch 26and from there by means of a wire 41 to the negative side of the battery22 through the wire 28. A pair of jumper contacts 42 are connectedacross the switch 30 so as to permit the connection of jumper cablesfrom a hot battery with the switch 30 open when the battery 22 isdischarged and when auxiliary electrical power is needed.

In the use and operation of the invention the card 18 is inserted intothe pocket 14 with the contact balls 19 making contact between the plugs15 on the opposite sides of the lock 11. With the card 18 inserted acircuit is established from the wire 21 to the top contact 158 throughthe ball 19B, bottom contact 158, bottom contact 15C, ball 19C, topcontact 15C, top contact 15E, ball 19E, bottom contact 15E; closing thehand switch 30 provides a circuit through the switch 27 to the load 35to permit the vehicle to be operated. If any of the balls A, D, and Fare formed of conducting material a circuit is established through thewire 24 to the relay 25 which closes the switch 26 to the horn 39 andopens the switch 27 to deprive the load 35 of electric- The card 18 mayhave any one of the balls A, B, C, D, E and F formed of conductingmaterial, nonconducting material or omitted and the lock 11 is providedwith suitable circuits to sound the alarm of the incorrect card isinserted therein and to provide electricity to the load when a cardhaving only the correct combination of conducting balls is used therein.

Having thus described the preferred embodiment of the invention itshould be understood that numerous structural modifications andadaptations may be resorted to withoutdeparting from the spirit of theinvention.

What is claimed is:

1. in an electric combination card lock for a system, an electricallyactuated alarm and an electrically energized engine, a lock formed ofinsulating material and having a generally rectangular shape, said lockembodying a relatively thin card receiving pocket extendingsubstantially all the way therethrough, a plurality of spaced contactelements embedded in the lock on opposite sides of said pocket and saidcontact elements coinciding with the surfaces of the pocket, insulatorson the outer surfaces of said contact elements, electric 4 circuitsseparately connecting at least one of said contact elements to anelectrically actuated alarm circuit and at least one other of saidcontact elements to an electrically energized engine circuit, arelatively thin flat key card formed of insulating material insertablein the pocket of said lock, a plurality of selectively conductive andnonconductive balls rigidly mounted in said key card between oppositesides of the card with each ball extending from opposite faces of saidcard, said card with said conductive balls being adapted to electricallyinterconnect at least some of the contacts in the pocket of said lock tocomplete a circuit to said alarm, to said engine, or to both said alarmand said ongine, and a hand control switch battery electricallyconnected in said circuits.

1. In an electric combination card lock for a system, an electricallyactuated alarm and an electrically energized engine, a lock formed ofinsulating material and having a generally rectangular shape, said lockembodying a relatively thin card receiving pocket extendingsubstantially all the way therethrough, a plurality of spaced contactelements embedded in the lock on opposite sides of said pocket and saidcontact elements coinciding with the surfaces of the pocket, insulatorson the outer surfaces of said contact elements, electric circuitsseparately connecting at least one of said contact elements to anelectrically actuated alarm circuit and at least one other of saidcontact elements to an electrically energized engine circuit, arelatively thin flat key card formed of insulating material insertablein the pocket of said lock, a plurality of selectively conductive andnonconductive balls rigidly mounted in said key card between oppositesides of the card with each ball extending from opposite faces of saidcard, said card with said conductive balls being adapted to electricallyinterconnect at least some of the contacts in the pocket of said lock tocomplete a circuit to said alarm, to said engine, or to both said alarmand said engine, and a hand control switch battery electricallyconnected in said circuits.